(Photo: Washington Wizards)
Suns 122
Wizards 116
November 1, 2017, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
After a tough California road trip that saw the Wizards drop two of three, the Wizards were looking to get back on the right track at home. Sunday’s win over Sacramento in the road trip finale provided a bit of hope as they welcomed a rebuilding Phoenix Suns team that played the night before. The Wizards on the other hand had two days of rest.
Before the game, Scott Brooks announce that Otto Porter Jr. would not be playing due to an illness. Jason Smith started in his place. Markieff Morris was also cleared to play but served his one-game suspension Wednesday night for coming off the bench during the brawl at the Warriors game.
Washington started out hot and firing on all cylinders before the Suns chipped away at the deficit and ultimately came away with a win to stun the home crowd at “The Vault “ by a final of 122-116.
Defense Dominates Opening Quarter
Things started out strong for the Wizards in the opening quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr, got things started with a layup and it looked like Washington was picking up where they left off from Sunday’s dominance over the Kings.
Bradley Beal lit it up as did Mike Scott coming off the bench. Beal’s 11 points in the opening frame was en route to a 40-point night. More about Mike Scott in the next take.
Also, John Wall is a fast dude. His sprint to the hoop after this rebound was clocked at 4.95 seconds.
After the first quarter, it looked like it would be another dominating game for the Wizards as they led 32-15. 15 points was the fewest they surrendered in a quarter this season. Unfortunately, that trend would not continue.
The Great Scott
Last year the bench was one of the biggest struggles. Over the summer, one of the Wizards biggest pickups was Mike Scott. Oubre was in some early foul trouble, picking up two fouls in less than three minutes, so Scott came off the bench and dropped seven points in the span of four minutes. He would finish the night with 12 points on 5 of 11 shooting with eight rebounds. "Mike Scott was having a pretty good game so I went with him [late]," Brooks said.
Game Of Runs
You would think a 32-15 record over a dysfunctional team that is in their second of a back-to-back set the tone for a cake walk. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The Suns went on a 9-2 run in the beginning of the second quarter and would later trim the deficit to 11. The home team would later answer with a 9-2 run of their own to go up 54-36, an 18 point lead. Sound familiar? The only difference was this was the Suns and not the Warriors.
After heading into the locker room down 12, 64-52, the Suns would begin the second half on a 9-2 run that trimmed the deficit to five. Overall, you could tell it was going to get worse.
The third quarter ended with the Wizards ahead by only three and it set the stage for a dominant fourth quarter by the Suns as they outscored the Wizards 35-26 in the final frame. TJ Warren led the Suns with 40 points, a career-high.
“He was moving, cutting, putting the ball on the floor, he only made one three so it was not his outside game, it was him attacking, getting to the basket, getting to the free-throw line and it hurts us,” Bradley Beal explained. “We cannot let anybody come in here and score 40. That is just unacceptable.”
“He was getting back door layups,” John Wall said. “He just has a knack for the basketball and when shots were going up he was getting the offensive rebounds and being in the right position. He’s always cutting. He’s kinda like Otto [Porter], always cutting and doing things like that and in the third quarter I think he had like six, seven layups that got him into a rhythm and he starts to see the ball go into the basket.”
Defense Or Lack Thereof
After giving up only 15 points in the first quarter, the Wizards defense gave up 107 points combined in the final three frames. 70 of those Suns points came in the second half. Read what Brooks, Wall, and Beal had to say about the poor defense here.
Officiating
It seems like Wall does not get the calls when it appears he is fouled. Sometimes he will get called for a foul and look at the referee confused. Late in the game with 40 seconds left and the Wizards trailing by five it seemed as if Mike James lost control of the ball as he was dribbling up the court. The referee gave the ball right back to Phoenix instead of reviewing the play, much to the disbelief of Wall himself.
During the latter part of the fourth quarter, each team was matching each other shot for shot.
Multiple Wizards players were in foul trouble: Oubre, Smith and Wall. Wall also got his first technical foul of the season earlier in the game in the second quarter.
“It gets the most frustrating because these little guys get the bumps and get calls,” Wall said.
“I didn’t even say nothing. I just punched my hand like this [fist into palm],” Wall explained about his first technical foul.
Brooks said the referees had nothing to do with the team's loss, but he along with Marcin Gortat were miffed by an offensive foul call midway through the fourth quarter that should have resulted in free throws for Washington.
Next Game: The Wizards welcome LeBron James and the defending Eastern Conference champions on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Cavs (3-5) have had their share of struggles on defense with tough losses to the Nets and Pacers. Despite that, it should be a lit atmosphere at “The Vault”.